Weft replenishing, pick-and-pick, filling mixing loom



July 31;:1945. A. PAL ERET L 2,3 0,544

WEFT REP ENIsHiNG, PICK-AND-PICK, EILLING MIXINGLOOM Filed April 6, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS ALBERT PALMER ELuo'r A. SANTON ATTORNEY July 31, 1945.

WEFT REiLENISl-IING, PICK-AND-PICK, FILLING MIXING LOOM Filed April 6, 194:5 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fl'fil M =r s'- m 1'!" 5 5 n .r: i 5 52 Ly; W I: "l I 76 g" 5 '40 5 76 4 A 2 0 69 q) 5 45 6 4 I I Q 84 10 N SE12 q0|- 35 v v as I Q p R o '6 luvzu' rons A aen'r PALMER Eulno-r A..$ANTON QM E ATTORNEY A; PALMER ET-AL 2,380,544

July 31, 1945. I ET AL 2,380,544 WEFT REPLENISHING, PICK-AND-PICK', FILLING MIXING 1100M I FiledApril 6, 1943 3 sfieets-sheet s 38!? 32 5| R If luvcrn'ons ,ALBERT PALMER ELLIOT A. SANTON a. ATTORNEY Patented July 31, 1945 WEFT REPLENISHING, PICK-AND-PICK, FILLING MIXING LOOM Albert Palmer and Elliot A. Santon, Worcester, Mass., asslgnors to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 6, 1943, Serial No. 481,960

13 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in filling mixing pick and pick weft replenishing looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a loom wherein the full capacity of the bobbin magazine may be emciently used.

It has been proposed heretofore to ultilize a roup of two or more stacks of bobbins in a stationary magazine for the replenishment of a shuttle the weft of which is used more rapidly than the weft of another shuttle which is replenished from a single stack. Such mechanisms usually employ a cam which is actuated by some part of the magazine, such as the transferrer arm, to move the stack selector for each replenishment involving a bobbin derived from the group. When this principle is' extended to the four stacks of a four cell magazine it is found that the cam tends to override its proper position due to the rapid motion of the transferrer or other magazine part. The oam ordinarily has as many levels as there are stacks under its control but tends to override or skip the positions corresponding to the intermediate levels of the cam. If the latter has eight positions in its rotation there will be high and low dwells corresponding to the outside stacks connected by inclines corresponding to the intermediate or center stacks. The selector operating mechanism which cooperates with the cam is likely to pass over the intermediate levels with the result that bobbins are not drawn from the corresponding stacks. As a result a disproportionately large number of bobbins are drawn from the front and back stacks and they become empty while several bobbins remain in the center stacks. Any attempt to correct this condition requires the use of a spring strong enough to interfere with the operation of the magazine and cause faulty movements and undue wear of the selector opcrating parts.

In order to eliminate the skipping of the intermediate steps and also dispense with the strong spring andthereby utilize the full capacity of the magazine. we utilize a slow moving part of the 100m to operate the cam. We find that the drop boxes or a part moved by the box pattern chain provide the desired character of motion and move at the proper time in the cycle of the loom for correct actuation of the cam.

In a pick and pick filling mixing loom three or more shuttles ordinarily follow each other in rotation at one-pick intervals and arrive periodically in transfer position under the magazine. The shuttle boxes for the shuttles have regularly recurring motions in a four-pick cycle in which the boxes are up for two successive picks and then down for the next two successive picks, and the cycles of the two sets of boxes at the opposite ends of the loom are out of step with each other by one pick. When the bobbins in the magazine all carry substantially the same number of picks, we have found that the regular movements of the selector, coupled with the regular arrival of the shuttles in transfer position, creates a distribution in the order of release of the bobbins which effects a practically uniform depletion of the several stacks of the magazine.

We have previously stated that it is desirable to use bobbins all having the same length of weft, but we actually find that the benefits of our inventlon can be attained even though there is some variation in the weft length of weft on the several bobbins. Under actual mill conditions it may be dlfllcult to wind a large number of bobbins all having the same number of picks or same length of weft. The bobbins are placed in the magazine at random and even though any given shuttle should happen to be replenished with a short weft bobbin on one transfer the effect of which would be to interrupt the theoretical order of release, the next replenishment is likely to involve a bobbin having long weft and this second replenishment will restore the theoretical order.

It is a more particular object of the preferred form of our present invention to actuate the aforesaid cam by a force derived from the shuttle boxes. The latter shift during substantially half a pick of the loom and impart a slow motion to the actuator for the cam with the result that the latter does not tend to override its correct position. Certain advantages of our invention are not dependent upon shuttle box operation of the selector, and we do not wish to be thus limited.

While we have shown mechanism for actuating the cam every fourth pick of the loom, yet our invention will operate if the cam is operated at shorter or longer pick intervals, as shown in the modified form of the invention wherein the cam is actuated from the shuttle box pattern chain. Furthermore, we show a shuttle sequence involving only three shuttles but other sequences requiring a greater number of shuttles. such as five for instance, will operate satisfactorily if the shuttles arrive in transfer position in a definite order.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, our invention resides in the combination and arrange- ;nent of parts hereinafter described and set orth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of our invention is set forth,

Fig. l. is a front elevation of a loom having our invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the weft replenishing mechanism looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on line 3--3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing the cam in such position as to permit the selector to move to its extreme front position,

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of a portion of the structure shown in the upper left hand corner of Fig. 1, showing the shuttle box levers,

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the shiftof the shuttle boxes for sixteen successive picks of the loom and the corresponding positions of the selector, and

Fig. '2 is a diagrammatic view of a modified form of the invention wherein the actuation of the cam operating pawl is derived from the shuttle box pattern chain.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, we have shown a harness and shuttle box control mechanism K of the Knowles head form at the left end of the loom and a multicolor stationary magazine M at the right end. The lay L reciprocates in the usual manner and has right and left groups of shifting shuttle boxes RG and LG, respectively. There are two shuttle boxes in each gang and each gang shifts in a four-pick cycle so that it is up for two successive picks and then down for the next two successive picks. The cycles of the two gangs are out of step with each otherbyone pick so that one gang shifts, while the other is at rest on the lay. The pattern mechanism K is built to effect the shifting of shuttle boxes according to this sequence and includes in its construction levers l0 and I i which rock about an axis 12. A stud l3 on the mechanism K supports two sprocket wheels 14 and 15 to accommodate chains l6 and II, respectively, one chain for each gang of boxes, and one for each of the levers l8 and II. The usual vibrator levers l8 controlled by a box pattern chain 19 operate the levers l0 and H.

Chain 13 is trained around a large sprocket 20 on a fixed stud 2| and extends down and around a guide sheave 22 and thence up and over a pair of guide sheaves 23 on the lay to be attached to the box lifter rod 25 of gan LG. By these connections gang LG is raised when lever 10 is moved to the right, see Fig. 5. In similar manner the chain IT is trained around appropriate sheaves and extends to the opposite side of the loom to be connected to a box lifter rod 21 attached to gang RG. The pattern box chain !3 of head K is built to produce the sequence of cycles of box shiftings with respect to the shuttle race R shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6.

The magazine M is of the stationary type and pref rably has provision for holding four stacks of reserve bobbins. The inside frame 33 of the magazine has vertically slidable thereon four bobbin releasers SI, 32, 33 and 34 each of which can be raised to rock the corresponding cradle, designated generally at 35, in a direction to receive a bobbin from the corresponding stack, after which the releaser is lowered to return the cradle to its normal position for the purpose of discharging the previously received bobbin to permit it to move to transfer position.

The selector mechanism for determining which oi the releasers shall be raised and lowered is accuses designated generally at 4B and comprises a rod 4! slidable longitudinally in bearings 42 on plate 30. A collar 43 is secured to the rear end of rod 4! and is grooved to receive the upper end of a positioning lever 45 pivoted at 45 to a part of the magazine frame. A spring 46 tends, normally to move the upper end of lever 44 forwardly or to the right as viewed in Fig. 2.

The selector includes a castin 50 secured to the rod 4i and provided with spaced front and back fingers 5i and 52, respectively, which are adapted for cooperation with upper lugs 53, 54, and 56 of the controllers 35, 32, 33 and 3%, respectively, one at a time, when the weft detector D indicates weft exhaustion. These fingers 5i and 52 are also adapted for cooperation with lower lugs 60, BI, 82 and 63 of the vertical releasers, one at a time, when the cradles are to be emptied as previously mentioned. The casting 50 is so constructed that as it slides longitudinally the finger 5| can register with either of the pairs of lugs on releasers 3| and 32 while finger 52 is out of register with its lugs, and finger 52 can register with either of the pairs of lugs on releasers 32 and 34 while finger 5| is away from its lugs. The selector can assume any one of four longitudinal positions in each of which it will register with one only of the vertical releasers.

In addition to the described longitudinal movements, the selector is also capable of having rocking motions imparted to it by a vertical rod 65 connected to a floating lever 68 mounted on a rod head 6'! secured to a vertically reciprocating rod 68. A controller pin 69 the position of which is determined by the weft detector D is normally in the path of the floating lever but is moved out of the path when the detector rises in synchronism with gang RG in register with the top box cell and indicates weft sufficiency. Under this condition rod 65 is at rest on the detecting beats of the loom when replenishment is not needed and the selector is not rocked. When exhaustion is indicated by the detector, however, the pin 69 remains in the path of the floating lever and as the latter is moved downwardly by rod 68 it pulls the rod downwardly to rock the selector and raise fingers 5| and 52, thereby lifting whichever releaser is in register with the selector. Immediately thereafter rod 88 rises and the floating lever 65 lifts rod 65 to rock the selector in the opposite direction and depress its fingers 5| and 52 for the purpose of lowering the previously raised releaser.

The vertical reciprocation of rod '58 occurs on one pick, starting while boxes RG are rising. On the next pick when gang RG is up and the released bobbin is in transfer position the rod 68 is at rest and lever 66 neither rises nor falls, but remains in its neutral or mid-position. As the lay advances the released bobbin is transferred into the shuttle in the top cell of gang RG. Rod 88 is on a two-pick cycle and the sequence just described occurs repeatedly every second pick during loom operation. Gang LG shifts on those picks of the loom when lever 56 remains stationary in neutral position.

In carrying the preferred form of our invention into effect we provide means whereby the selector Ml can be given four different longitudinal posh tions by the operation of mechanism actuated by the shuttle boxes LG, or a part moving with them. Accordingly, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and l, we provide the magazine with a fixed stud '10 On which is mounted for rotation a cam H having a long high dwell l2, intermediaw short dwells l3 and the ratchet wheel.

l4 ,'and a long-low dwell I5. This cam engages a roll 16 on the previously described-lever 44 and is fixed to aratchet wheel 80 having eight teeth 8| and-rotatable about stud 10. A look wheel 82 also fixed to the cam and ratchet wheel cooperates with a yielding locking arm 83 pivoted on stud 45 and held normally in looking position by a-spring 84. The three parts H, 8B and 82 turn as a unit on the stud l and are held in any one of eight angular positions by the lock lever 83.

A'driving lever 90 is loosely mounted for angular movement on stud 10 and carries a pawl 9|. positioned for cooperation 'with the teeth 8! of A spring 92 between the actuator lever 90 and a fixed part of the magazine tends to hold the pawl at the beginning of its working stroke, or at the right hand extreme of its reciprocation, as seen and shown in Fig. 2.

Lever 90. has an arm 95 attached to a connector 96 flexible in part at least and extending over a guide roll 91 on the loom frame to th opposite sidei'of the 100m. On the arch I00 of the loom near mechanism K is pivoted a lever I0! which swingsabout its pivot I02 in response to movements of the chain IS. The lower end of lever lnl is connected by a rigid link I05 to the chain l6, while th connector 95 is connected as'at I06 to the upper part of lever 19! above pivot 12.

In the operation of the loom the drop boxes LG will rise every fourth pick and link I05 will move to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, thereby rocking lever I! in aleft hand direction to pull the connector 96 and turning the actuator lever 90 in 'a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. During this movement of lever 98 the pawl 9i has a working stroke and moves to the left sufiiciently to rock the ratchet wheel through one-eighth of a rotation thereof, thus causing a one-eighth turn of cam H for the purpose of rocking positioning lever 44. Pawl 9| has a working stroke every fourth pick of the loom when boxes LG rise and remains to the left until gang LG drops, at which time the spring 92 gives th pawl an idle or return stroke back to the position shown in Fig. 2.

The relation of the shuttle boxes, the selector 40 and thebobbin releasers is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6 wherein IXVI represent the positions of the box gangs LG and RG for sixteen successive picks .of the loom. It may be assumed that the selector 4!! is as shown for position I at the beginning of the sequence with the finger 5i in register with releaser 3i and with the boxes LG down. Roll 16 will be on low dwell T5 adjacent to one of the dwells 14. On pick III the boxes LG will rise, and as already described, the cam II will be rocked to place a dwell 14 under roll 76 and cause rearward movement of the selector 40 to register finger 5!. with the releaser 32. The selector remain in this position for the greater part of the next four picks of the loom, and as the boxes LG again rise on pick VII a dwell 13 will move under roll 16 and the selector will be movedso that its finger 52 registers with releaser 33. In similar manner, on pick XI the selector will be moved to its rearmost position with the finger 52 thereof registered with the bobbin releaser 34 and roll 16 will engage high dwell 12.

' Because of the fact that high dwell I2 is long enough to engage roll 16 on two successive rockings of the ratchet wheel, the selector 4!! will remain in its rearward position when the boxes LG next rise on pick XV. On succeeding risings of gang LG the selector will be given movements the reverse of those already described, registering successively withreleasers 33, 32 and 3|, until it assumes the position shown at I in Fig. 6.

Thus it will be seen that the selector 40 has a regular movement independently of th replenishing operations of the loom and furthermore is controlled by an actuator which has a relatively slow motion. ,It is to be understood that the shuttle boxes shift during substantially one-half of a pick of the loom, that is, while the lay is movingfrom bottom center position through front center to top'center, and because of the slow motion imparted to lever I! the pawl 91 advances the ratchet :Wheel gradually and there is no tendency on the part of cam H and the parts rigid with it to overrun their proper positions. Spring 84 can be relatively weak and thus not interfere with the operation of the mechanism.

. The lever ID! has been described as receiving its working stroke to actuate pawl 9| on the up movements of the boxes LG, but it is to be understood that we are not limited to such movement of the left shuttle boxes inasmuch as their down motion can also be utilized for giving the pawl 9| its working stroke merely by connecting the connectors 96 to lever IOI below its pivot Hill. This relationship can exist because of the fact that lever 66 will be stationary when gang LG is dropping as well as when it is rising, and there will consequently be no rocking of the selector.

There is no causal relation between the shifting of the selector 40 and the replenishing operations of the loom as in previous constructions, but we find in actual practice that a relationship exists between the shiftings of the selector and the replenishing operations which causes the bobbins to be delivered more or less uniformly from the several stacks and that a large part of the capacity of the magazine can be used for replenishing operations beforeany one of the stacks is emptied. i i

In the particular loom described three shuttles follow each other in rotation at one-pick intervals and as shown in Fig. 6 the relation of the shuttles, the box shiftings,and the order of shuttle picking is such that the first shuttle SI will enter the top cell of gang RG on the first pick of a twelvepick cycle, the second shuttle S2 will enter the same box four picks later, the third shuttle S3 will enter the same box four picks thereafter and the first shuttle will again be pickedinto this box after a lapse of another four picks. From this it will be seen that each shuttle is in transfer position every twelfth pick, laying four picks between successive arrivals in transfer position, and it will also be noted that a shuttle i in the top cell of gang RG ready for replenishment every fourth pick. These relationships involving four picks when coupled with an actuation of the cam H to move the selector 40 at four-pick intervals provides a mechanism which has been found in practice to effect substantially uniform depletion of bobbins in the several stacks of the magazine, but as already mentioned we are not limited to this relationship of four picks.

In the foregoing description the ratchet operating pawl has a working stroke every four picks because of its connection to the chain l6 which moves the shuttle box gang LG. In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 7 we provide means whereby the pawl can, be given less frequent working strokes. The previously described patternbox chain l9 will carry on one of its links a half ball H0 which moves under a lever Ill pivoted on the heel pin I I2 of the mechanism K, A bellcrank lever I I3 is pivoted at H4 to the framework of the mechanism K and has one arm thereof attached by rigid rod I [5 to the lever H l.

The other arm of the bell crank lever is connected by a rigid rod H6 to the previouslydescribed lever I01, and the connections from the latter lever to the operating pawl will be the same as those already described for the preferred form of the invention. Lever IOI in the modified form will not be connected to chain IE but will be responsive only to forces derived from lever I I I and transmitted through the connections shown in Fig.

The number of links on the chain IS in the modified form of the invention can be varied according to the rate at which it is desired to actuate the pawl. With the two up and. two down motion characteristic of the shuttle boxes in the type of loom to which this invention more particularly relates it is necessary to have a number of. links on chain H! which is a multiple of four, inasmuch as the chain is advanced by mechanism not shown each pick of the loom. Thus, chain l9 may have twelve, sixteen, twenty or any other number of links divisible by four. If the chain l9 had sixteen links for instance the half ball would lift lever Ill every sixteenth pick of the loom and operate through the connections shown in Fig. 7 to give the pawl a working stroke to advance the cam. If twenty links are in chain IS the lever will be moved every twentieth pick of the loom, etc.

By the drive for the pawl set forth in the modified form of the invention the cam can be given fewer motions than exist in the preferred form of the invention, and the number of picks required for a complete cycle of operations for the selector 4!] will be increased, Thus, if twenty bars are in chain I9 and the cam has the eight angular positions already described, one hundred sixty picks will be required to bring the selector back to any given starting position in its longitudinal movements.

As the loom continues to run the selector arrives at its several positions of registry with the different releasers at regular intervals, and the shuttles reach transfer position when exhausted at intervals which are regularly recurring for all practical purposes. Except in those rare instances when the number of pick on the bobbins is a multiple of the number of picks in the shuttle rotation and the number of picks required fort? gressive releasing of the bobbins with respect to' the stacks which effects a substantially uniform distribution in the selection of bobbins from the stacks over aperiod of successive replenishing operations.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have provided simple mechanism for giving the selector 40 regularly recurring movements to cause it to register in definite order with the several releasers of the magazine. It will also be seen that the force for advancing the cam 1 I is derived from a slow moving part of the loom, that is,.

either the box motion or lever III, and because of this fact there is no tendency for the cam to override its proper position. As a result of this relationship the spring 84 can be made relatively weak with consequent improvement in the operation of the mechanism. It will further be noted that the selector 4!] is not shifted by the gang LG until after a previously raised releaser has been depressed. This condition grows out of the fact that the rod 68 is given its reciprocating movement in a quicker time than in the usual automatic multicolor loom and lever 66 is therefore at rest during longitudinal shifting of the gang LG.

It will also be noted that the regular movements of the selector and the arrival of the shuttles in transfer position at regular intervals, contribute to an order of bobbin release wherein the stacks of the magazine are depleted almost uniformly. A significant part of this relation grows out of the fact that the selector 40 is moved progressively and at regular intervals and that the shuttles rise in the top cell of gang RG at regular intervals and also the bobbins are all wound with weft the length of which for all practical purposes is the same. We do not believe that the selector 40 must necessarily shift every fourth pick although this rate of motion has its advantages. The pawl can have working strokes at intervals greater than every four picks.

Having thus described our invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and we do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what We claim is:

1. In a weft replenishing loom having shuttle boxes at one end thereof which are shifted with respect to the lay by an actuator mechanism, a magazine having a plurality of stacks of reserve bobbins, a bobbin releaser for each stack, a selector for the releasers common thereto and capable of movement to as many different positions as there are stacks of bobbins, one for each of said releasers, to register with the latter one by one and in a given sequence, a cam having as many different steps as there'are stacks of bobbins, means operatively connecting the cam to said selector to move the latter according to said sequence as said cam moves, and an operator for the cam deriving an operating force from said actuator mechanism when th latter shifts the shuttle boxes to cause said selector to move according to said sequence.

2. In a weft replenishing loom having a pair of shifting shuttle boxes at one end thereof connected to actuator mechanism which operates the shuttle boxes in successive four-pick cycles in each of which the boxes are up for two successive picks and are then down for the next two successive picks, a magazine at the opposite end of the loom havin four stacks of reserve bobbins, a bobbin releaser for each stack, a releaser selector common to the releasers and movable in a sequence of four successive movements to four different positions to register with each of said selectors once in said sequence, a positioner for said selector having a step by step movement and capable during four successive movements thereof of causing said selector to move according to said sequence, and an operator for said positioner connected to said actuator mechanism and moved thereby once for each of four successive fourpick cycles to give said four successive movements to said positioner.

3. In a weft replenishing loom having a pair of shuttle boxes connected to actuator mechanism which causes the boxes to shift in successive fourpick cycles in each of which the shuttle boxes are up for two successive picks and thendown for the next two successive picks, a magazine at that end of the loom opposite the shuttle boxes having a plurality of stacks of reserve bobbins, a bobbin leasers and in register with the latter one at a time and in a given sequence.

4. In a weft replenishing loom having a pair of shuttle boxes at one end thereof connected to actuator mechanism which causes said shuttle boxes to shift in successive four-pick cycles during each of which said shuttle boxes are up for two successive picks and are then down for the next two successive picks, a magazineat the opposite end of the loom having four stacks of reserve bobbins, a bobbin releaser for each stack,

a selector for the releasers common thereto and capable of registering with all of the releasers, one at a time, a positioner for the selector movable to position the selector in register with each of the releasers, one at a time and in a given sequence, and an operator for the positioner connected to said actuator mechanism and caused by the latter to move the positioner and thereby move'the selector into registry with said releasers one at a time and in said sequence.

5. In a weft replenishing loom having shuttle boxes at one end thereof shiftable in opposite directions by actuator mechanism, a magazine at the opposite end of the loom provided with a plurality of stacks of reserve bobbins, a bobbin releaser for each stack, a releaser selector for said magazine movable to register with said re,- leasers one at a time and once with each of said releasers during a given sequence of movements equal in number to the number of stacks, a positioner for the selector to move the latter with respect to the releasers according to said sequence during successive movements of said positioner, and an operator for said positioner connected to and operated by the actuator mechanism when the latter shifts said shuttle boxes in one direction only to cause successive movements of the positioner and thereby cause said selector to move according to said sequencev 6. In a Weft replenishing loom having shifting shuttle boxes at one end thereof, a magazine having a plurality of stacks of reserve bobbins at the opposite end of the loom; a bobbin releaser for each stack of bobbins, a selector common to the releasers capable of having an angular movement to operate the releaser registered. therewith and a longitudinal movement to change from registry with one releaser to another releaser, means operative on odd picks of the loo-1n when ever weft exhaustion is indicated at the magazine end. of the loom to move said selector angularly, said means being idle and incapable of causing angular movement of the selector on even picks of the loom, a positioner for the selector to move the latter longitudinally into register with each of the releasers and one at a time, actuator mechanism to shift said shuttle boxes on theeven picks of the loom, and an operator for the positioner connected to and operated by said actuator mechanism when the latter shifts said shuttle boxes tomove said positioner and cause the selector to move from registry with one of said releasers to registry with another of saidreleasers.

7. In a weft replenishing loom having actuator mechanism to shift shuttle boxes at one end thereof and a magazine having a plurality of stacks of reserve bobbins at the opposite end of the loom,. a bobbin releaser for each stack, a

selector for the releasers capable of registering with all of said releasers one at a time, positioning mechanism interposed between said selector and said actuator mechanism, said positioning mechanism including an element movable progressively and connected to said selector to move the latter into registery with the releasers one at a time according to a given sequence, and an operator for the element forming part of the positioning mechanism operated bythe actuator mechanism when the latter shifts the shuttle boxes to give said element successive movements.

8. In a weft replenishing loom having shifting shuttle boxes at one end thereof connected to actuator mechanism which causes the shuttle boxes to shift, a magazine at the other end of the loom having a plurality of stacks of reserve bobbins, a bobbin releaser for each stack, a selector for said releasers movable in a given sequence into register with said releasers, one at a time, a positioning unit for the selector rotatably mounted on the magazine and including a ratchet wheel and a cam rigid therewith operatively connected to the selector and having steps corresponding to positions of said selector in said sequence, i an operating pawl for said ratchet wheel, and connections between said actuator mechanism and said pawl giving the latter a working stroke to cause turning of the ratchet wheel and cam incident to a shifting movement of said shuttle boxes.

9. In a weft replenishing loom having shuttle boxes at one end thereof which are shifted with respect to the lay by a shifting mechanism, the loom having a magazine provided with a plurality of stacks of reserve bobbins, a bobbin releaser for each stack, and a selector for the re leasers common thereto and capable of registering with all of the releasers one at a time in a given sequence, a positioner for the selector having a step by step movement and operative due to the successive movements thereof to register said selector with the releasers in said sequence, and an operator for the positioner deriving an operating force from said shifting mechanism when the latter shifts the shuttle boxes to cause the positioner to have said step by step movements and thereby register the selector with the releasers according to said sequence.

10. In a weft replenishing loom having a backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay and shifting mechanism to shift a set of shuttle boxes during shifting periods on alternate picks of the loom when the lay is in the forward part of the movement thereof, the loom having a weft detector capable of indicating weft exhaustion between successive box shifting periods when the lay is forward, a plurality of bobbin releasers, a selector movable into register with said releasers one at a time and having a releaser operating movement completed between successive box shifting periods whenever the detector indicates weft exhaustion, positioning mechanism for the selector effective when having step by step movements to register the selector with the releasers one at a time in a given sequence, and operating mechanism for the positioner deriving an operating force from said shifting mechanism at regularly recurring intervals occurring during box shifting periods and giving said positioner said step by step movement to effect registry of the selector with said releasers according to said given sequence.

11. In a weft replenishing loom having a backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay and shifting mechanism to shift a set of shuttle boxes during shifting periods on alternate picks of the loom when the lay is in the forward part of the movement thereof, the loom having a Weft detector capable of indicating weft exhaustion between sucessive box shifting periods when the lay is forward, a plurality of bobbin releasers, a selector movable into register with said releasers one at a time and having a releaser operating movement completed between successive box shifting periods whenever the detector indicates weft exhaustion, a positioning cam having as many steps as there are releasers and effective during a succession of step by step movements to register the selector with said releasers in a given sequence, an operating pawl and ratchet advancing mechanism for the cam operated by a force derived from said shifting mechanism at intervals recurring regularly during shuttle box shifting periods to give said cam step by step movements to effect registry of the selector with the releasers according to said given sequence.

12. In a pick and pick filling mixing weft replenishing 100m having a backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay and having shifting mechanism to shift shuttle boxes relatively to the lay every second pick of the loom during a shifting period which occurs when the lay is forward, the loom having a weft detector the detecting operations of which occur when the lay is forward and the loom also having a selector registerable with a plurality of bobbin releasers one at a time in a given sequence, operating means cooperating with the detector when the latter indicates Weft exhaustion and operating on alternate picks of the loom only to give the selector an operating movement, said operating means being idle on the intermediate picks of the loom, positioning mechanism for the selector effective when having step by step movements to register the selector with the releasers one at a time in said sequence, and actuating mechanism for the positioner operated by a force derived from said shifting mechanism and operating at regularly recurring intervals which occur on those picks of the loom when the operating means is idle to give said positioner said step by step movements to effect registry of the selector with said releasers in said sequence.

13. In a pick and pick filling mixing weft replenishing loom having a backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay and having shifting mechanism to shift shuttle boxes relatively to the lay every second pick of the loom during a shifting period which occurs when the lay is forward, the loom having a weft detector the detecting operations of which occur when the lay is forward and the loom also having a selector registerable with a plurality of bobbin releasers one at a time in a given sequence, operating means cooperating with the detector when the latter indicates weft exhaustion and operating on alternate picks of the loom only to give the selector an operating movement, said operating means being idle on the intermediate picks of the loom, a positioning cam for the selector having a step for each releaser and effective when having successive step by step movements to register the selector with the releasers one at a time in said sequence, pawl and ratchet driving mechanism for the cam, and actuating mechanism for the pawl and ratchet driving mechanism operated by a force derived from the shifting mechanism and operating at regularly recurring intervals which occur on those picks of the loom when the operating means is idle to give said pawl and ratchet mechanism movements to effect said step by step movements of the cam and cause registry of the selector with said releasers in said sequence.

ALBERT PALMER. ELLIOT A. SANTON. 

